Team
Dr Asel Sartbaeva
Co-Founder, CEO
With a PhD from the University of Cambridge Asel began developing ensilication in 2012. She has since supervised numerous PhD students as a reader in chemistry, and is the recipient of multiple awards. She is a member of Spin Up Science Accelerator, Pioneer Group LAUNCH programme, and is a Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellow.
Dr Matt Slade
Co-Founder, Business Development / Operations
Matt has been involved with ensilication technology since 2017, when he started his PhD with Asel at the University of Bath. Since the formation of EnsiliTech he has been leading the business development as well as many of the day-to-day operations of the company.
Dr Stephen Wells
Co-Founder, Advisor
Stephen is a multidisciplinary researcher with a degree in Natural Sciences and a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Cambridge. Stephen is a co-inventor of the ensilication method and a co-founder of EnsiliTech. Stephen provides scientific advice to the company, particularly in the area of intellectual property.
Dr Rachel Smith
Scientist
Rachel joined Ensilitech in January 2023. She works to ensure the smooth running of the laboratory and to optimise protocols for implementing our technology. Rachel has a PhD in Medical and Health Care Studies from Swansea University and postdoctoral experience in regenerative medicine and microvesicle analysis.
Alex Crofts
Junior Scientist
Alex graduated from Lancaster University with a BSc in Biological Sciences, with a dissertation on the evolutionary links between Asgard Archaea and Eukaryotic cells. Before joining EnsiliTech in March 2023, he spent time at Abcam, working in manufacturing and process development of antibodies.
Dr Aswin Doekhie
Co-Founder, CTO
Aswin gained his PhD in the ensilication of vaccines under Asel, and had been working as a post doctorate research further ensilication until the formation of EnsiliTech. He brings valuable industry experience of vaccine development from both Crucell, and Mymetics.
Sabine Ficek
CFO
Sabine is a seasoned CFO with 25 years of experience within Finance and Operations. She has held Senior management positions in the past 16 years and helped companies move into and setting up operations in new territories, creating management teams and sitting on their boards.
Laura Sheppard
Junior Scientist
Laura graduated with a Masters in Chemistry from the University of Bath in 2021, with a placement year at the University of Oxford working within the Townley group. After University, she worked as a metal plating laboratory technician before joining EnsiliTech in May 2023.
Jane Shepard
Project Manager
Jane is the part-time Project Manager at Ensilitech, using her 25 years' experience in pharmaceutical sales & marketing, market access & medical, in positions up to Country Director level, to support Ensilitech. Jane has worked across rare diseases and vaccines and also acts as a Trustee for the patient charity, Immunodeficiency UK. A Bristol University bioscience graduate, Jane also holds postgraduate qualifications in business.
Zoya Nisar
Junior Scientist
Zoya graduated from the University of Nottingham with an integrated Masters in Biochemistry and Biological Chemistry in 2018. With experience at the Native Antigen Company and academia of plant proteins and the purification of antigens, antibodies and virus-like particles, she joined EnsiliTech in August 2024.
Dale Bullett
Commercial Director
Dale has over 2 decades experience in commercial strategy and operations. He has held numerous roles both at a country and global level in biopharmaceutical businesses. Dale spent 13 years at Orion Pharma becoming their Commercial Manager, before successfully building the commercial business at Ridge Pharma.
Dr Vanessa Lyne
Research Scientist
Vanessa joined Ensilitech in September 2024 as a research scientist. Before this, Vanessa worked as a medicinal chemist at Sygnature Discovery, helping to lead client projects and develop drugs across multiple projects and therapeutic areas. She has a PhD in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology from Durham University.
Dr Kalina Biernacka
Research Scientist
Kalina joined Ensilitech in December 2023, supporting the team in process development and leading in vitro studies to determine efficacy, toxicity, and possible mechanisms of action of potential ensilicated vaccines and biopharmaceuticals. Kalina has a PhD in Translational Health Sciences from the University of Bristol and sixteen years of extensive laboratory experience and knowledge in the field of cellular and molecular biology.
Board & Advisors
Sarah Pollitt
Chairperson
Former GSK & AstraZeneca
Sarah has deep global commercial experience from leadership roles at AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. Sarah’s expertise is in commercialising new medicines and medical technologies for successful launch and managing their lifecycles to maximize sales and profitability. Sarah has also successfully partnered with biotechs to in-license and bring forward new medicines through development. Sarah spent her early career in strategic management consulting with the Boston Consulting Group on projects driving the growth of launched medicines. Sarah holds a degree from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from Insead Business School.
Hon. Alex Fink
Director
Fink Family Office
Alex has spent over 13 years working in the City at major financial institutions. He has worked in the City for 10 years at MF Global and Lehman Brothers. Alex brings a wealth of knowledge on how to grow and scale businesses. He has helped raise over £200 million worth of fundraising since 2020, including companies such as Pupil, Curve, and Bud.
Richard Haycock
Director
CEO, QantX
Richard has been involved in technology businesses for 40 years and has been at the forefront of major paradigm shifts in the industry. He is an innovation driven entrepreneur and has wide experience of building and scaling businesses through new technology, venturing, and creating disruptive business models.
Dr Ben Miles
Director
CEO, Spin Up Science
Ben is the founder and CEO of Spin Up Science Ltd, an organisation that works to create frontier science ventures based on university IP by empowering and upskilling scientists and engineers in entrepreneurship and innovation. Spin Up Science operates across 6 cities in the UK aims to establish the UK as a world-leader in innovation activity. Through Spin Up Science, Ben has worked as a catalyst of innovation activity, supporting over 100 early-stage scientific ventures. Ben completed his PhD at the University of Bristol in Nanophysics and Optics.
Dr Jenni Rogers
Director
Tech Transfer Manager, University of Bath
Jenni has extensive expertise in due diligence of life science opportunities, IP management and strategy, as well as licensing and spin outs. Currently consulting for the University of Bath, the Wellcome Trust, and Sanger Institute. She has previously spent time include Cancer Research Technology, the Wellcome Trust and IMS Health.
Dr Johnathan Matlock
Commercial Advisor
Co-Founder, Science Angel Syndicate
Johnathan is an active angel investor with a portfolio of 38 frontier science and technology companies. He is a co-founder of Science Angel Syndicate, a community of entrepreneurs and investors source world class scientific discoveries that impact society on a global scale. Johnathan holds a PhD from the University of Bristol, Chartered Chemist of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Johnathan was part of the team who patented a technology to create the world’s first glucose responsive insulin, commercialised through spin-out Ziylo, acquired in 2018 by Novo Nordisk for £623m.